Ron
by swedegirl
Summary: Ron has left Hermione. Where's he gone? Why didn't he let her know? And did he really want to leave? Songfic.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: ****This is a songfic based on the song Ron, by Mary Lou Lord. Obviously not compliant to Deathly Hallows, though I am trying to tell the story so that it might still fit reasonably well with book 7. Oh, and I don't own Harry Potter, it all belongs to J. K. **

**Ron**

**Chapter one –**** Separation Anxiety **

_Since he left me in this situation, times have been really tough_

_Fourteen months of separation, I still can't throw out his stuff_

_Try to prove to myself that I've still got the power to retract_

_If he thought I was having good times, Lord knows how he'd react_

_Maybe Ron would come;__ maybe Ron would come back then._

Hermione sat on the floor in her bedroom, shaking with tears. In her hand she held a Quidditch World Tournament Cup, with his name carved onto a plaque on the front. She was doing her annual, gigantic house cleaning, and was going through the bottom of the wardrobe when she found it, discarded in the back, covered in dust and cobwebs. She had sunk to the floor with her back against the wardrobe door, staring at the cup in her hand. Her reflection looked faded on the dusty surface. As the memories came into view in her head, the tears began to flow.

The day he'd won it he'd been so happy; absolutely jubilant. And she had been so proud of him; he had finally achieved his goal in life, he was finally an acknowledged Quidditch player, and his team had won the World Tournament. When they'd come home that night, the first thing he'd done was polish it and put it in the middle of his trophy shelf. She'd let him, because she'd known how important it was for him; he'd never really had the chance to bask in the glory on his own before; Harry had always been there to overshadow him, and even though she knew Ron didn't envy him or thought he didn't deserve it, she knew it also stung just a little bit to be the constant side-kick.

As soon as he'd put the trophy on the shelf, however, and admired it for a moment, she'd taken over and showed him exactly how proud she was of him and how much she loved him. They had never made such sweet love before, neither before that night nor after. Had it really only been fourteen months since it had happened? A week later he had gone. And she never saw it coming.

The tears fell down her cheeks, down into the cup. Hermione was hugging it so tightly it hurt and it was going to leave a mark for sure, but she didn't care. She was sobbing and wailing, crying her heart out, or at least, the place where she was supposed to have a heart was aching like hell, but in reality she felt as if it wasn't there at all. Ron Weasley had ripped it out and taken it with him when he left.

There had been no explanation, no good bye, no notes, nothing. One day she'd come home from work, expecting him to meet her in the doorway, like he always did, but nobody was home. She waited for a couple of hours, then floo-called Harry and Ginny, but he wasn't there. And he hadn't been at his parents' house, or at any of his brothers. She'd tried every person she could think of but no luck. So she'd gone out searching. She went to all his favourite places; tried every bar he'd ever been to, every bar he hadn't been to, she'd sent a locating spell into the forest on the outskirts of the village, thinking he might be lying there, hurt or worse, but no luck. Finally, she contacted the ministry, who began searching for him, and she went back to waiting. After a week, the ministry gave up the search. Hermione continued waiting. A month passed, and she still waited. Ginny and Harry tried to cheer her up, told her he'd come back, that somehow he'd turn up. With Harry being an auror, he tried especially hard, but not even he could find Ron. Hermione could tell that they were beginning to lose hope, that they had started going about their normal lives again, but she just couldn't.

Suddenly Hermione felt a hand on her shoulder and she jumped, startled. She was so lost in thought she almost expected it to be Ron, who had finally returned, but when she turned her head she saw Harry standing there.

"Oh, hi Harry... I was just..." she began but then her voice trailed off. Harry sunk to his knees and put his arms around her in a tight embrace. She started crying again, and Harry held her in his arms until the tears subsided, until there were only sobs left, and on he held her until the tears were gone and all that was left was the empty hole inside her and red swollen eyes. She withdrew from him and looked at him, then picked the cup back up from the floor where she had dropped it when Harry had embraced her.

"Do you remember when he won this?"

"Yeah, I do. It was the perfect day. The only time I've ever seen him that happy before was at your wedding".

"It seems like it was only yesterday and at the same time it feels like it's been for ever since that day. I can hardly recall time anymore. Any normal person would throw all this stuff away, but I can't... I just can't".

"Hermione..." Harry took her hand and made her look at him. "I know you don't want to believe that he just left, I know you think something has happened to him, that there's something that's keeping him from coming back to you, and I want to believe that to, because I know Ron, and I know he loves you, but I can't help thinking that he's not going to come back. It's been too long. And don't say that I'm being a terrible friend for losing faith, because Ginny keeps telling me that all the time, but it's been fourteen months. You have to let go of the grief, you have to start living again. Maybe he will come back someday, I really hope he does. But in the meantime there are other people who are here for you, who need you and depend on you. Rosie needs you."

"Where is Rosie?"

"She's downstairs with Ginny. I think she's feeding her. We thought you'd be done by now, that's why we came back, but when you didn't respond when we called for you, we knew something wasn't right".

"You called for me?"

"I understand now why you didn't hear us".

Hermione looked at the trophy in her hands and one last silent tear slid down her cheek.

"Give me one moment alone, and then I'll be down".

"It's ok, don't rush. Take your time". Harry got up from the floor and headed for the door. He took one last sad look at Hermione before he went out the door, but she didn't notice. She was lost in her thoughts once more.

Hermione knew Harry was right. It was time to stop living in the past. And there was so much to live for, even without Ron. When she found out she was pregnant with Rose, she willed herself to stop the constant grieving, picked herself up a bit. But she still kept her hopes up; she still prayed every day for Ron to come home and find out the he was going to be a father, to hold his beautiful daughter in his arms, for them to be a family. Since Rose was born five months ago, there had hardly been any time left for Hermione to miss him; there was so much to do with a baby around. Ginny and Harry had helped her turn the house into a baby – friendly place; that was probably how the trophy had ended up in the wardrobe in the first place. But despite all the changes that had been made, she still couldn't get rid of his things. She wanted them to be there when he came back. He would come back. He had to.

She got up from the floor and went over to the shelf. It was full of photographs now; photos of Rose, of the Weasleys and of her parents. And in the middle, there was their wedding photo. How happy they looked; so young. Hermione felt like she had aged fifty years in only fourteen months. She put the trophy on the shelf, next to the photo. Then she dried her eyes, composed herself, took one last look at the picture, and went downstairs to take care of her daughter, no, _their_ daughter.

**That's chapter one, over and done. Reviews please; too soppy, not soppy enough? Let me know.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors note: Don't own Harry Potter, sadly.**

**Chapter two – Embracing the future, embracing the memories**

_I always get those birthday presents; I turn twenty-nine_

_And I need only look at you and I'll be feeling fine_

_You've been doing so well, it's cool; you're so grown up for your age_

_If he could see his poor little princess standing up on the stage_

_Maybe Ron would come; maybe Ron would come back then._

The September morning was crisp and clear. The fruit trees in the orchard glowed in red and gold, and a cool sun was ascending on the sky. Hermione sat in the kitchen, feeding Rose, or rather trying to feed her. Rose was fussing at the moment and Hermione felt tired and a tiny irritation was creeping upon her. Also, she was nervous. Today she would start her new job as a lecturer at the Ministry. Normally she worked as a barrister for the Ministry, but since Rose's birth she was on maternity leave. A couple of weeks ago, however, her boss had sent an owl, asking her to help with the magical law training. One of the lecturers had fallen ill and was unable to continue teaching. At first she had been sceptical, but Ginny had persuaded her to take it. As the work only lasted a couple of hours, two times a week, she wouldn't be away from Rose too much, and during that time Ginny, Mrs. Weasley or Mrs. Granger were more than happy to look after Rose. Deciding it was time to get on with her life, Hermione accepted the job.

Rose started whining and promptly shut her mouth tight. Hermione sighed. "Fine, have it your way Rosie. I don't have time to fight this fight. Granny will hopefully get you to eat something later. Come on, let's get you cleaned up and dressed". Hermione wiped her daughter's sticky face, and then proceeded to put on her coat and little hat. She knew she shouldn't give in to Rose's whining, but she really had other things to do today besides trying to win over her daughter. She threw on her cloak, grabbed her bag, picked Rose up and stepped over to the fire place. She took some floo –powder and threw it into the fire place. Crackling green flames appeared. She stepped into them, called out "the Burrow!" and she and Rose were off.

When Hermione landed in the Weasley fire place, it took no more than two seconds, and then Mrs. Weasley was there to take Rose out of her arms. Rose was wailing loudly; she didn't care much for travelling by floo. Hermione brushed the soot off her cloak, and then stepped out into the Burrow's kitchen. Mrs. Weasley was rocking Rose back and forth to calm her down, which usually helped, and sure enough; a minute or two later she had ceased her crying. Mrs. Weasley put Rose into a high chair standing at the end of the kitchen table; then she turned to Hermione and hugged her.

"Hermione dear, how are you?"

"I'm fine Molly. A little tired, and a little nervous, but otherwise I'm okay".

"You'll do just fine today, I'm sure you're going to be an excellent teacher".

"I hope so. Well, I'd best be off. Thank you for looking after Rosie".

"No trouble dear. I'm always happy to help you, now that... that you need it. Good luck today".

"Thanks Molly. See you later".

Hermione stepped out into the yard and apparated to the Ministry. When she arrived she walked across the atrium to the lifts, joining the small crowd gathering around them. Soon enough a lift came rattling and the doors opened. She stepped inside along with a few others. When they reached level five, Hermione stepped out and began walking down a long narrow corridor. A bright sunlight shone through the magical windows. All of a sudden Mr. Weasley stepped out from a boot on the left. His face lit up when he saw her.

"Hermione! Just the person I was hoping to meet!"

"Hello Arthur. What are you doing up here?"

"Oh, I was delivering a motion for stricter laws on misuse of muggle artefacts. The recent breeches of the system really have been appalling. But I was also hoping I might catch you before your first lesson. I want to wish you good luck".

"Thank you. I'm sure I'll need it".

"Nervous eh? Don't worry, there's no need for you to be. You're good at explaining things. Teaching will be a piece of cake for you. Anyway, I'm not going to keep you any longer. I'm sure your students are already waiting for you. I'll se you later".

"Yeah, see you Arthur".

Mr. Weasley left and Hermione continued down the hall, to the far end door. She stopped outside it. I can do this, she thought to herself. She took a bracing deep breath, and then opened the door. The whole room was full of students; they all turned their heads and looked at her when she entered the room. She closed the door behind her and walked to the front of the room, stepped up onto the small stage that raised a couple of feet off the floor. She opened her bag, took out her notes and placed them on the podium in front of her. As she looked up and into the faces of her students, she could see anticipation shining in their eyes; an anticipation she knew so well. She could remember the first time she herself had sat in this very room, eager to begin her studies. The butterflies in her stomach flapped their wings elsewhere, and with a smile she began speaking: "Hello, and welcome. My name is Mrs. Hermione Weasley and I will be your teacher for this course..."

As the students filed out of the classroom, Hermione gathered up her papers and put them back into her bag. When she looked up again, she saw one of her students standing next to her; a young woman, who looked like she was a fresh Hogwarts graduate. "Yes? Can I help you with something?" Hermione asked kindly.

"I just wanted to tell you what a great lecture it was. I've been looking forward to start this education for so long; and when I heard you were teaching it made me even more excited, because I admire you very much. You've helped refresh the laws in the magical world, and I think I speak for many others when I say that you are a true inspiration".

"What is your name?" Hermione asked.

"Jessica McKenzie, Mrs. Weasley".

"Well, thank you Jessica. I didn't know that I had been an influence to anyone, but I do hope that my teaching and my work will continue to be an inspiration to you; and not a disappointment".

"Don't worry Mrs. Weasley, if the rest of your lectures are as good as the one today, you'll be an inspiration to all of us".

"That's very kind of you. And please, call me Hermione".

"Oh, all right. See you next time... Hermione".

"See you Jessica".

Jessica left the classroom. Hermione stood looking at the empty doorframe for a moment, smiling to herself, and then she put on her travelling cloak, took her bag and also left. She had done well, she had done more than well; her students had thought she was great. She really had had no idea that her ideas and her ways of practicing magical law had made such an impression, but for the first time in a long time she was happy to be moving on. She was getting on with her life, and she had passed her first day as a teacher in flying colours. If only Ron could have seen her...

Hermione knew she shouldn't be thinking about Ron, she knew she shouldn't do this to herself, but once she got started, she couldn't stop. All the happy thoughts evaporated and Ron was all that was on her mind as she stepped into the lift. He would have been so proud of her, just like on her first day as a barrister. And the time she had won her first case; it had been a matter of the Ministry against a man who had been practising illegal trading with house elves (it had taken her a long time, but she had finally been able to improve house elf rights). "You were great, princess!" he'd said and kissed her on the lips. Then he'd taken her out celebrating. 'Princess'... that's what he'd started calling her; she was his princess; the one person he loved more than anything in the whole world. How could he just walk out on her like that? It wasn't Ron, he wouldn't do that. She still believed with all her heart that something was keeping him from coming home, there was no way he'd stay away from her on purpose.

Ever since Voldemort's death, when they had finally gotten together, Ron had grown so much. He'd finally stepped into his shoes and filled them out. He went from immature boy to a grown up man, a responsible man. After the stunt he pulled when he left them that time, during the Horcrux – hunt, he'd learned to take responsibility for his actions. Instead of running when things got tough he'd started dealing with them. The Ronald Weasley Hermione knew, married and loved would never leave her. But where was he then? Why didn't he come home? Could he really have walked out on her, walked out on Rose, after everything they'd gone through together? No, she refused to believe it.

When she stepped out of the lift she was on the verge of tears again. She knew she couldn't go back to Mrs. Weasley in this state, so she apparated home first. She needed some time to herself.

Once home, she went straight into the bedroom and took down their wedding photo. She sat down on the bed and just looked at his picture; her eyes registered every inch of his handsome face; his lovely long nose, his blue eyes that shone with happiness, the broad grin on his face. That's how she remembered him; happy, at ease with the world and his life, loving her. Did he know how much she missed him? Did he know that she'd give anything to have him back in her arms again? She couldn't stop wondering where he was and if he was thinking of her right now; if he remembered what day it was. No one else had seemed to remember, and Hermione couldn't be bothered to remind them.

She sat there, looking at the photo for another ten minutes or so, revelling in memories and crying silent tears. When all the tears had gone, she composed herself, put the photo back on the shelf and went into the bathroom to freshen up. Then she went back into the bedroom to change her clothes. Now she felt presentable enough to go back to the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley was probably worried. So she went downstairs, out into the yard and apparated.

When Hermione arrived in the yard outside the Burrow, she could hear Rose shrieking with laughter from inside the house. With a smile on her lips, she pushed open the kitchen door and the first thing she saw was George playing aeroplane with her daughter. Rose giggled and laughed and couldn't be enjoying herself more, and by the looks of it, neither could George. He'd been really upset when Ron had disappeared; Hermione had realised that it must have been like losing Fred all over again. Ron and George had become very close since Fred's death, and losing Ron must have been a hard blow on George. Hermione had been too upset to notice at first though. It wasn't until after Rose was born, and George took it upon himself to make sure that Hermione and Rose were ok, that she truly appreciated how much he cared about her and Rose, and about Ron. He wanted to keep them safe, until Ron got back, because just like Hermione, he believed that Ron would come back.

"Hi George" said Hermione with a smile.

George stopped playing aeroplane, which caused annoyed whining from Rose, but he ignored it. "Hi Hermione. I was just entertaining Rosie. She's an excellent flyer, though her co-pilot, a.k.a. me, ought to remember not to take a plane flying right after lunch".

Hermione let out a soft laugh. "Threw up on you, did she?"

"Yep. So I let it rest for a while, but now we're back in the air".

"Looks to me like you're on the ground right now".

"Yeah, well, I was actually only trying to make her tired. Mum says it's naptime".

"And she's quite right. Where is Molly?"

"She's out back, picking apples. If you want to go talk to her, I can put Rosie down for her nap".

"Thanks George, but I think I'd like to do it myself. I've missed her, and I'd like some time alone with her".

"Oh, ok. I'll just... go help mum with the apples".

Hermione picked Rose up and headed for the sitting room. Before she left the kitchen, she turned around and said: "George..."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for looking after Rose while Molly did her house work. And thank you for making her laugh. I really think you're her favourite uncle".

"I'm happy to do it. You know I adore Rosie".

"Still, thanks". And she left to put Rose to sleep. It didn't take her too long; George had completely worn her out. Hermione just sat and watched her sleep for a while. She was so beautiful. Hermione felt so blessed to have Rose in her life. And she always reminded her of Ron; not in any bad ways; it was seldom she cried because Rose reminded her of Ron. It actually only made her happy, made her remember all the good times and think of how much she resembled him. She had the same flashing red hair, and his mouth, but she had Hermione's eyes. She was a perfect mixture of the two of them, and Hermione was sure that she would grow up to be a beautiful little girl.

When Hermione came back downstairs, she could hear muffled voices coming from the kitchen. Just as she was about to go investigate, George came into the sitting room from the kitchen. "So, Hermione; how was your first day as a teacher? Come on, sit down here and tell me all about it". He sat down on the sofa and patted the cushion next to him to indicate her to sit down. Hermione was too tired to realise that he had been sent out to stop her from coming into the kitchen. She just complied, happy to get to tell someone about her success.

"It was really great, George. I think I did well, at least one of my students told me so afterwards. She said that I was an inspiration to many of them; she said she admired me. I had no idea I was that popular".

"Of course you're popular, Hermione. Of course, me being in the joke shop business, I don't always approve of your strictness, but I still admire you for your determination and all the hard work you put in. And I know you're not always strict, you have been known to let your hair down now and then".

"No one can stay around you too long without your mischievousness rubbing off, not even Percy".

"Yeah, and you're a hell lot more easy going than he is" George laughed.

Hermione laughed to, but then her face turned sad.

"I just wish Ron could have been here..."

George put an arm around her. "I know he would have been proud of you, and where ever he is, I'm sure he's thinking of you".

"Harry's beginning to lose faith. He says I should get on with my life and stop hoping, start forgetting, but I can't. I know a lot of other people feel the same way, but I refuse to believe that he'd just leave me without even telling me why and where he's gone".

"I'm not saying getting on with your life isn't a good idea, but I don't think you should stop hoping. I don't think Harry has really lost faith; he's just become more of a realist the past few years. Ron will come back Hermione, he will. You'll see".

"Thank you George, for being here for me and for believing in Ron".

"He's my brother, and I know him. I don't believe he'd walk out on you. He loves you too much. Back at Hogwarts, there was not a day that went by, when you didn't notice how much he cared about you, and how scared he was of telling you. We used to taunt him quite a lot about it, me and Fred, but we didn't really mean anything by it. At least he had you; we could see that it meant something to him, that it was the real thing. You still have the real thing, and that's what makes me think that he'll come back to you when he can."

Hermione wiped her eyes, too touched to say anything at all.

"Hey, let's get back into the kitchen. I think mum's got tea ready".

They rose from the sofa and started walking back towards the kitchen. Just as Hermione was about to push open the door, George stopped her. "Hey, Hermione?"

"Yes, George?"

"Happy birthday".

He grinned at her and pushed open the door. When Hermione stepped inside, a whole crowd of people shouted "Surprise!" and "Happy birthday!" Hermione just stood there, gaping at them for a moment, and then she smiled and walked forwards to receive the hugs offered to her; from Harry, from Ginny, from Mr. And Mrs. Weasley. Bill and Fleur were there to, and their children. A big cake stood on the table and a pile of presents was at the end of it.

"Happy birthday, dear" Mrs. Weasley said as she hugged her.

"Thank you Molly. I... I hardly know what to say. I..."

"Thought we had forgotten your birthday, did you?" Harry asked, as he moved forward to hug her.

"We'd never forget your birthday" Ginny said, waiting to give hug her to.

"Come on dear, sit down, have some cake" Mrs. Weasley said and offered her a chair. Hermione sat and looked at the cake. It had three layers and was shaped like a book. On top of it were twenty - nine candles, she calculated after a quick count. Suddenly she felt old... old and lonely despite being surrounded with family members.

"Go on, blow out the candles. Make a wish" George said and gave her a knowing little smile. Both he and Hermione knew what she'd wish for. Hermione took a deep breath, closed her eyes and blew – and she wished with all her heart that Ron would come back home.

**Author's note: A few things I thought I should comment on; In Deathly Hallows Scrimgeour asks Hermione if she's planning to follow a career in Magical Law and Hermione answers "No I'm not. I'm hoping to do some good in the world!" I still chose to make Hermione a barrister, because as we all know she has very strong beliefs and I thought she could use those beliefs and her will to do some good in the world, by becoming a barrister and try to change the current system of Magical Law. **

**Second, ****I know it might seem a bit strange that Harry is losing faith in Ron ever returning, while George is the one who holds on to hope. I know Harry is Ron's best friend, but, heartless as it might sound, Harry has Ginny and his children and his career; in short, he's got things in his life to distract him and to fill up the gap. George on the other hand (and obviously this is my personal interpretation) never did marry. In my opinion, Fred and George had the deepest of twin – connection, and when Fred died, so did a part of George. He never did manage to fill that gap, he always felt like a piece of him was missing. Growing closer to Ron did of course help to ease the pain, and it gave him a new perspective on life. The fact that George believes in Ron's return more than Harry, is because George lost Fred; Fred is dead and will never come back and George knows this. But he has no idea where Ron is, he could be dead, but he could also be alive. If Ron is dead, it would, like Hermione says, be like losing Fred all over again. So instead, George holds on to hope. Add to that an admiration for Ron and Hermione's love for each other.**

**Finally, please bear with me on the interpretation of the lyrics. Yes, I might be stretching it a bit far to fit it into my story, but the end result will be good, I promise. Oh, and please review. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: Still don't own Harry Potter.**

**Chapter three – Return**

_Can't accept after all we've been through, nothing mattered enough_

_If he just took some time to remember why we first fell in love_

_Maybe Ron would come; maybe Ron would come back then._

It was the day after Hermione's birthday. She had had a great time and received loads of presents. Before she and Rose had left last night though, George had taken her aside and told her that he'd sent a gift over to her house. He thought it had been best if she opened that in private. When Hermione came back she immediately noticed the parcel lying on the kitchen table. She decided to put Rose to bed before she opened it, but when she had done that she'd lain down on the bed just for a while, just to catch her breath a bit, but instead she'd fallen asleep.

When she woke up in the morning, she remembered the gift, but there had been no time for opening it, as Rose craved most of her constant attention. At the moment though, Rose was upstairs, having her afternoon – nap. It was two in the afternoon, and Hermione was back in the kitchen, sitting at the table, holding the gift in her hands. Slowly she unwrapped the parcel, her hands shaking a little. The paper fell off, revealing a photo album and a card. She opened the card and tears filled her eyes when she read it: _Dear Hermione, happy birthday. I wanted you to have this, because I had a feeling you were in need of some memories to hold on to, so that you can hold on to hope for a while longer. Most likely this will cause you to cry, that's why I sent it to your house instead. I hope you like it, and that your wish will come true (yes, I'm referring to the birthday cake, and no I'm not skilled in divination, I just know my sister in law very well). Enjoy your gift, love George._

With trembling hands, Hermione opened the album. The first thing she saw was Ron's face staring back at her. There were pictures of Ron when he was a baby, when he was a kid, but mostly pictures from his grown up life. Every page showed her his smiling face, his blue eyes. There were some pictures of Rose in there to, and a few of her, Ron and Harry. On the fifth page however, her eye caught a picture of her and Ron that had been taken at Harry and Ginny's wedding. Ron had been best man, and Hermione had been bridesmaid. She couldn't remember the picture being taken, but she knew it must be from that wedding, because of the clothes they were wearing. They were sitting down by the lake (the wedding had been held at Hogwarts), underneath the beech tree where they had sat so many times. They were kissing each other and holding hands. Hermione remembered the moment as if it was yesterday:

"_Hermione?" Ron said._

"_Yes, Ron?"_

"_I love you, more than words can say. I don't know what I did right for you to love me back, but you do, and I could never wish for anything more than that"._

"_I love you to Ron, and I'll tell you what you did right – you were just being yourself, that's all you ever have to do. To me you are the most perfect person and I don't ever want you to change"._

"_I won't, I promise. I have been thinking though..."_

"_Yes?"_

"_Well, I know we agreed to wait, but..." He took out a box from his robe pocket, went down on one knee and opened the box._

"_I don't want to wait anymore. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I want the world to know that you're my wife. If you say yes that is. Hermione Jane Granger, will you do me the greatest honour of being my wife?"_

"_Oh Ron! Yes, yes, I'll be your wife, if you'll do me the greatest honour of being my husband"._

"_Gladly". And he slipped the ring over her finger, then got back up and gave her the longest deepest sweetest kiss ever. They sat back down, and just held each other for the longest time, and agreed that they'd wait with telling everybody about the engagement. They didn't want to ruin Harry and Ginny's big day._

Hermione wiped away the tears that were falling on to the moving photo. George must have taken the picture, he must have witnessed the whole thing, but he'd never said a word. And now she had proof of their great moment, it was like watching her memories come alive. Once again Hermione wondered where Ron was and why he wouldn't come back to her. She just couldn't accept that he was gone; after everything they'd gone through together, after all their adventures and arguments and loving moments, how could that not matter anymore? She refused to believe that Ron didn't cherish that as much as she did, that he didn't remember how much they loved each other.

Then she heard a soft rapping on the door. She put the photo album on the table, wiped her eyes some more and went to open the door, expecting to find Harry or Ginny or George standing there. But when she opened the door it was neither of them, it wasn't even anyone she'd expected, but someone she'd prayed and longed and waited for, for the past fourteen months.

"Ron!"

"Hermione..." he said breathlessly. He took one small step forward and held out his arms. Bursting into tears Hermione fell into his arms and they stood there embracing each other, both of them crying.

"I've come home" he whispered in her ear. "I've come home".

When they let go of each other, Hermione took one step back to look at him. He looked older, naturally, and he looked tired, like he'd travelled for a long time. He was thinner, and his clothes were worn. He obviously hadn't washed himself in a while and he had a gash along his left cheek. Hermione took his hand and said: "Come inside, you must be hungry, and that cut must be taken care of".

She led him into the house, and made him sit down by the table. She went over to the sink and dipped a clean rag into some water, and she also took out a bottle of dittany from an overhead cupboard. Then she turned back to Ron and started cleaning the wound. Of course she could have done it by magic, but she didn't want to. She wanted to touch him, feel his skin rub against her fingers, memorise every inch of him. She wiped his face clean from grime to. Then she dabbed some dittany on to the wound.

"There... now I can tell that it's you I'm looking at and not some stranger".

"I wouldn't blame you if you did think me a stranger. I've been gone for so long..."

He took her hand and gave her a sad look; a remorseful look.

"Where have you been Ron? If you knew how worried I've been, how much I've missed you, the tears I've cried over you".

"I've been to hell and back Hermione. It'll sound so amazing when I tell you, you'll think I'm making it all up, but I swear it's true, every word of it".

"Well, go on then, tell me. I know you wouldn't lie to me, so just tell me everything that's happened to you".

"The day I vanished, I had Quidditch practice, as you might remember". Hermione thought back; yes, he had had practice that day, she remembered when he'd left in the morning, kissing her good bye, mounting his broom and flying off. She remembered his team mates helping her search for him without any result.

"Afterwards, when I was flying back home, I felt like doing an excursion. I had spotted a forest not far from the Quidditch field, and I wanted to explore it. The practise had been rough, so I really just wanted to blow off some steam, get rid of some pent up energy and tension. As I was flying over the forest, I spotted a clearing in the very middle of it, and as I flew lower, I saw some flowers growing there. They looked pretty and I decided to pick some for you. But when I lowered my broom to go down something hit me over the head from the side and I fell off my broomstick".

Hermione gasped. "And you didn't see what hit you?"

"No. When I woke up again, I was lying in a bed, a bandage around my head and a middle aged woman leaning over me. I knew she was a witch, because she had a wand in her hand. She told me her tree guard had caught me, and that I had hurt my head. She also said I had to stay in bed for a few days, so my head would mend properly. When I told her that my wife was excellent at healing, and that I wanted to apparate home, she insisted on me staying. She said it was dangerous for me if I moved, but that she could send you and owl and tell you what had happened to me. I accepted, but when you hadn't replied the next day, I began suspecting that she had never sent the owl. You didn't get an owl, did you?"

"No I didn't. Who was this woman; did she tell you her name?"

"Well, she said her name was Marcelina, but I don't know if that's her real name. Anyway, when I started insisting on going back again, she told me that she wasn't going to let me. She had taken my wand and there was no use in trying to escape, she had security spells all over the place. Nevertheless, I tried to escape. During the night on my second day there, I snuck out of the house, but only got as far as the garden gate; then some sort of alarm went off. She immediately came running and immobilised me. Then she dragged me back into the house and told me that she wouldn't let me leave, she couldn't. I was the only company she'd had for years, and that I belonged to her now. And then she wiped my memory".

Hermione let out another gasp and squeezed Ron's hand. "She wiped your memory?" He nodded. "But then, how...?"

"How come I remember you? How can I be here now?" Hermione nodded in return. "I didn't remember you at first. I think I must have passed out when she obliviated me, because when I came to again, she sat on my bed and told me it was time for breakfast. Obviously I was confused and had no idea who I was or where I was, but she told me it was because I had been ill, and I was now recovering. She was very convincing; she made me believe my name was Calvin and that I worked for her. While I had been knocked out she had organised her house so it looked like I lived there with her. She let me stay in bed for two days, most likely to keep up the appearance that I had been ill. Then she set me to work. I had to chop wood, carry water, feed her animals, do all sort of house work. In the evenings we'd eat together and she'd tell me about her life, as if it was something we'd always done. Life was comfortable and there really was no indication that my life ever had been different".

He paused for a moment to look at Hermione. She hung on every word he said, listening intently so as not to miss anything. Ron could tell that she was upset; she kept biting her lip, and there was a hint of anger in her eyes. He continued:

"But even though I had nothing to complain about, I still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something missing; that I was really supposed to be somewhere else, with someone else".

"Now that she had modified your memory, did she let you know that she was a witch?"

"No, she didn't. And I had no memory of me being a wizard. I basically spent my life living like a muggle. But you know how it is with magic – if it's there it always finds a way to make its presence known. After six months or so, odd things seemed to happen around me. When I got tired from chopping wood, the axe would suddenly start chopping on its own. When I felt like I couldn't shovel any more snow, the garden path was suddenly free of snow. Obviously this confused me; so I didn't mention anything to her. After a while tiny flashes of memory started forming in my head. I began recognising some of the things that happened to me, and a remembrance of who I was started forming in my head. The fact that I was a wizard came back to me, and so did other small fragments of my life. Everything seemed to make sense, but at the same time it didn't. I couldn't understand where all these memories came from, and I didn't really trust them to be real, because my life there was the present reality, and it seemed much more likely than all the memories that were flooding my brain".

Ron stopped again, to clear his throat. Hermione realised his mouth was dry, so without even asking, she got up and poured him a glass of water. He gratefully accepted it and drank it down in one gulp. He sat still for a moment, just looking at Hermione. He scanned every inch of her that his eyes could register. They stared into each other's eyes, and neither of them seemed to want to break eye contact. Finally though, Ron let his gaze go, looked at his hands instead and continued his story:

"I kept all of these memory-flashes to myself. And then one day I discovered that she was a witch. I had been feeding her cow and her chicken and I was on my way back to the house when I remembered that I'd forgotten the egg basket, so I went back to get it. When I got there however I saw her enter the barn, and in her hand she was holding a wooden stick. Seeing it, I suddenly remembered owning something similar of my own, and I crept nearer to get a closer look. I hid behind a shrubbery near the barn door, where I had a good look at what was happening inside the barn. I saw her raise her wand, which I soon realised and remembered that the stick was, to light a fire underneath a cauldron. I had noticed the cauldron before, but she had said she used it for washing her laundry. Now, however, it was very clear that she was making some sort of potion. I didn't dare stay there too long, but snuck back to the house. After this encounter, the memories started coming back to me more rapidly and then one day, when I was left alone in the drawing room, I noticed a book on a shelf; it was _Hogwarts: A history_, and just like that, I remembered you".

Hermione couldn't help herself, she started laughing. She laughed and she laughed, and Ron just sat there, completely awestruck. And then he started laughing to. They laughed and they laughed until they were both out of breath. And when the laughter finally subsided, Hermione took Ron's hand and squeezed it.

"I'm sorry I laughed, but I couldn't help it. Of all the things that made you remember me again, it was _Hogwarts: A history_. It's just so... so _you_ and I just... oh Ron..."

"Well, you love that book so much, and I love you, and I don't know how my brain made the connection, but it did, and I suddenly remembered that I had a wonderful wife somewhere and I realised that the life I was living there was a lie. Once I remembered you, I also remembered how I had ended up there, well, bits of it. Some of the pieces didn't fall back into place until earlier today. Anyway, from that moment, I began planning my escape".

He cleared his throat and continued: "First of all, I had to make sure she didn't notice that my memory was returning. I figure her memory charm wasn't too cleverly done".

"Well, either she wasn't very skilled at memory charms, or her heart wasn't really in it when she performed it. That can cause side effects. You have to really mean it when you perform a spell; maybe she realised that what she did was wrong?" Hermione interjected.

"Yeah, maybe, but she still had no problem keeping me there. Anyway, I watched her, monitored her every move and realised that she had a routine to things. The first thing I had to do was get a hold of her wand, because without it I'd have no chance of getting away from there. It was tricky though, because she never let it out of her sight. Finally, one night after she'd fallen asleep, I made a move to escape. I had watched her a couple of evenings in a row, and thought I had a good enough chance to get hold of the wand, which she kept underneath her pillow. Very carefully, I inched closer and closer until I stood right next to her bed. Carefully I reached out my hand towards the pillow, and as quick as I could, I snatched the wand out from under it and ran for the door. When I reached the garden gate the alarm went off again, but this time I kept running. I could hear her running after me and shouting. I came to the forest, and the trees suddenly moved in close and shut my way. I turned around; she was standing only ten feet away from me. "So, your memory has returned?" she said to me. First I only nodded but then I grew angry. "Yeah, I've finally realised you've kept me here against my will, and that I have a wife who loves me and misses me. You can try and stop me, but I'm getting out of here now" I told her. At that she laughed and told me to give up, that there was no way she'd let me leave. I told her there was no way I'd give up and that I was going home to my wife. I held the wand in both hands and told her that if she took one step further I'd snap it in two. She hesitated and I could tell she was battling with herself over what to do. But she got careless and moved forwards; and I broke the wand".

"I bet that didn't go down too well?"

"I've never heard a more terrible scream. And when I broke the wand, the trees moved again, so that I could get through. I guess all of her power was in the wand, and that all the charms and spells broke when the wand did. But I don't know if that's common, I can't remember".

"No, I've never heard of anything like it before. Unless... maybe she wasn't a witch but a hag. Then I guess she would have all her power in the wand. Did she look like a hag?"

"No, she wasn't ugly, though she wasn't pretty either, she was just... plain. Anyway, I didn't really stop to see if her appearance changed, I just ran for it. I had no idea of where to go, I just ran, straight ahead, as far away from her as possible. Strangely enough, she didn't follow me. I guess she realised that her battle was lost".

"Or she hoped that something terrible would get you out there in the forest" Hermione suggested.

"Yeah, maybe. Anyway, I might have remembered much about being a wizard, but I couldn't recall any spells or how to apparate. I remembered that there was such a thing as apparition, but not how to do it. After a couple of miles I quit running and stopped to catch my breath. When I felt rested enough, I continued walking. It was dark as hell and I tripped over a root at one point; that's when I got the cut on my cheek. But I just walked until I reached the end of the forest".

"What happened when you came out of the forest?"

"It was still dark. I didn't think Marcelina would follow me, and I was completely exhausted, so nestled down underneath a tree and fell asleep. When I woke up the sun was up and rising high on the sky. In front of me stretched a wide open field. I still had no idea where I was, but thought it best to walk south, so I did. After passing two fields, I came to a farm. Seeing as I had no idea of where I was or where to go, I stopped and asked for directions. The farmer was a not a wizard, from what I could tell, and he had no idea where you lived, but directed me to the nearby village. Actually, he drove me there in his car; he thought I looked so lost. He kept asking me where I came from, but I was very evasive in my answers; I just told him that I'd got lost in the woods. He dropped me off on the High Street in the village and wished me luck. When he'd left, I stood there, looking quite forlorn I guess, and I thought I'd never get home. That's when luck found me. Suddenly someone called my name and I turned around. A tall man with brown hair came running towards me and I recognised him, though I couldn't remember his name. It turned out to be Lieberman from my Quidditch team. Once I started talking to him the last pieces of my disappearance came back to me. I still can't believe that I'm on a Quidditch team".

Hermione had tears in her eyes and yet she smiled. "Yes, you are. You're the captain of the Chudley Cannons, or, you were. They had to replace you when you vanished. But you were a great captain, and you're a great Quidditch player. Your team won the England series last season, and you played for the English team in the last World Tournament. And you won".

"I did? Merlin, there's so many things I've lost, so many faces I can't recall, so much I've missed out on since I've been gone".

"But what happened when you met Lieberman?"

"Well, he asked me where I'd been, and told me that they'd looked everywhere for me, and that you missed me like crazy. I just told him that I'd been held captive and that I had trouble remembering where my house was. So he brought me here, he took me along on side – apparition. When we arrived here I knew I was where I belonged, and memories I thought were lost returned. I thanked Lieberman and he left; he said he'd notify the Ministry and the team though. And so I went over and knocked on the door. I thought it best, because you might have been at work".

"Yeah, well, I don't go to work too often these days" Hermione said with a smile.

"Why not?" Ron asked.

And as if on cue, Rose began crying. Her cries echoed through the house and Hermione saw the stunned look on Ron's face.

"Is that a baby crying?" Ron asked, even though he knew perfectly well it was, but somehow he didn't dare believe it.

"Yes. Rose has woken up from her afternoon – nap".

"Rose?"

"Our daughter" Hermione said with a soft smile. Ron looked even more awestruck.

"Our daughter?" he repeated. "We have a daughter? When...? I don't remember..."

"And rightly you shouldn't. She was born only five months ago. She was conceived one week before you disappeared. On the night you had won the World Cup".

"A daughter... I have a daughter..." Ron said breathlessly, as if he still couldn't believe it.

"Do you want to come and meet her?" Hermione asked. She stood up and held her hand out. Ron took it and together they went upstairs, into the nursery. Rose was still crying, but when Hermione picked her up she stopped.

"Hi sweetheart" Hermione said. "I have someone here who would like to meet you. Look" she said and held Rose up so she could look at Ron, "your daddy's here, your daddy's come home". And she offered Rose to Ron, who took her in his arms. He was absolutely speechless; he couldn't take his eyes off her. Rose considered Ron with curious interest for a moment, and then she gave him a big smile and Ron's heart melted. "Hello Rosie, my beautiful daughter" he said, smiling back at her. "I'm your dad. I know I haven't been around before, and I'm so sorry, but it'll be different from now on. I'm never going to leave you; or your mother ever again. I'm here to stay".

And he looked at Hermione with tears in his eyes and her eyes were also wet. Hermione's voice trembled when she spoke: "Not a day's gone by when I didn't think about you and wonder where you were. I refused to believe that you had just walked out on me, and I never gave up hope. I knew that you'd come back. People told me to get on with my life and to stop waiting, but I didn't stop waiting, because I believed in you and I believed in our love. Yesterday, when I blew out the candles on my birthday cake –"

"It was your birthday yesterday?" Ron interjected.

"Yes, but never mind that, just listen. When I blew out the candles, I wished with all my heart that you would come back home; and you have... you've come home. I love you Ron, more than words can say".

With tears pouring from her eyes, she walked forward and embraced Ron. His eyes were also full of tears. "I love you to, Hermione Weasley. I love you, and I'm never letting you out of my sight ever again". And he kissed her; a long, deep, passionate kiss, and neither of them had ever been happier. They were a family again; Ron had come back home. Soon people would know that he'd returned, and their friends and family would drop by to see him and hear him tell his amazing story. A lot of things had to be repaired of course; Ron's memory had to be rebuilt, and he'd have to catch up on everything that had happened during his absence. But that was all right, they had time; they had all the time in the world. The only thing that mattered was that he'd returned; that Ron was home.

The End.

**Author's note: There you have it, my interpretation of the song Ron, by Mary Lou Lord. I know my story is much more positive than the song seems, but I really wanted a happy ending, because honestly, does anyone believe than Ron would ever walk out on Hermione? Still, this is a good song and Mary Lou Lord really deserves all the credit she can get, so I just really wanted to make a songfic out of it. Hopefully, you'll think the end result good, but I won't know unless you review, so please, do that.**


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